Pakistan shows dismal Human Rights record under Imran Khan government
Jan 01, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], January 1 : Pakistan Human Rights under Imran Khan is going from bad to worse as noted by Human Rights agencies.
The case of Idris Khattak is illustrative of the state of human rights and the hold of the Pakistan military over any criticism of the government and deep state, according to International Forum for Rights and Security.
Meanwhile, International human rights organizations have correctly raised the Khattak matter with the Imran Khan government.
Earlier, it took a year for Pakistan to admit the whereabouts of human rights activist Idris Khattak. This happened only after the family filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court.
For those interested in statistics, Khattak has been missing for two years, 4 months and one day.
It is tragic that Khattak should have been missing since 2019 and in December 2021, a military tribunal should have sentenced him to 14 years in prison under Pakistan's Official Secrets Act. Clearly, the military and government in Pakistan are dead against those who fight for their human rights, according to The International Forum for Rights and Security.
Also, Human Rights Watch mentions that Khattak's conviction under these circumstances is the culmination of a series of egregious abuses that began with his abduction, seven-month enforced disappearance, and subsequent secret trial that violated due process and fair trial standards.
Meanwhile, the US State Department's 2020 Country Report on Human Rights Practices sums up the prevailing crisis within Pakistan with regard to human rights abuses in the following words: "There was a lack of government accountability, and abuses often went unpunished, fostering a culture of impunity among perpetrators, whether official or unofficial. Authorities seldom punished government officials for human rights abuses."
